Search form

Search form

Blackboard has purchased Baltimore-based Moodle and Australia-based NetSpot in a deal that Blackboard representatives say will enable the software company to improve service. The acquisitions will allow Blackboard to provide support to schools that use open-source software, which typically is free and considered a Blackboard competitor. Currently, Blackboard offers support to schools that purchase its products.

Related Summaries

The Peru, Ind., school district expects to raise about $125,000 by selling its Academic Monitoring Package software to 26 other districts in the state. To reduce strain on the technology department, the goal is to have about 20 districts using the software at a cost of $7,500 annually -- less than the $50,000 charged by other companies for similar software.

An Illinois school district has adopted a policy that allows teachers to use social media websites in their lessons. A separate policy, which also was adopted, permits school-district employees to communicate with students using social media and technology, including cellphones. Under the policy, teachers must establish guidelines for the use of social media in the classroom.

A Massachusetts middle school is generating excitement about solar panels installed at the school by giving students an opportunity to interact with and learn about the technology. Students also will begin using solar cells to generate electricity for classroom fans and light bulbs. In addition, students frequently check for updates on flat display monitors at the school, updating them on the amount of energy being produced by the photovoltaic module, which converts solar radiation into electricity.

One in five colleges has a policy limiting the number of devices students can connect to the school's network, according to a recent report. Officials say the influx of students with several Web-capable devices -- and their desire to stream information online -- has led some colleges to limit the amount of bandwidth students can consume. Officials say the demand continues to grow, and it is not expected to slow down soon.

Discovery Education has released a series of new cloud-based "Techbooks," which include interactive features such as videos. The new textbooks are expected to be available for high-school science and middle-school social studies beginning in the 2012-13 school year. Because the digital textbooks can be accessed wherever there is an Internet connection, officials say the platform allows greater access and flexibility.